Assessment Twists

In my classroom, I use a variety of nontraditional mechanisms to assess my students. Some of the assessments have some interesting benefits, including virtually wiping out student cheating... by letting them cheat.

Using Data in the Science Classroom

Last December, one of my Math for America colleagues, science teacher Liz Whelan, gave a talk about how her students use real-time data to investigate research questions about local water quality.

Ebola Math

Like many others, I've been intently following the recent news stories about Ebola: the outbreak in West Africa, the cases in the U.S., as well as the ongoing reports about the research in the scientific community regarding treatment and a future vaccine. This media attention provides teachers a unique opportunity to discuss relevant course content with a current-event context. Students, no doubt, will be interested in learning about it from an academic perspective. The topic lends itself nicely to many approachable topics in high school math, statistics, biology, health, and social studies classes. It also can be a great way to introduce students to some basics of epidemiology, virology, medical ethics, and biostatistics.

Here are some great resources available for teachers and students who wish to use Ebola and infectious diseases as a context for learning.